香港六合彩中特网

This is a calling notice for a Branch discussion and organising meeting we are holding on Thursday 19 January, 13.00-14.00.

The discussion meeting will be an opportunity to answer questions about the industrial action that has been called nationally by UCU which includes 18 days of strikes in February and March plus a marking and assessment boycott (MAB) in April (Appendix 1), should the employers not change their position.

There will be a Slido to raise questions for the meeting.

You can see a short report on our very well-attended meeting on the 05 January which passed motions on strike action and a MAB, as well as on donating to legal action on USS (our pensions). But since then events have moved forward with the Higher Education Committee of UCU deciding on the above combination of action.

This is partly in reaction to the employers鈥� recent 鈥渙ffer鈥� of a 5% pay (equivalent to a 2-month pay cut over two years). We note that the Provost has written to staff expressing his regret that staff pay is not better but accepting no part in it. This is despite 香港六合彩中特网 being a leading and influential member of the employers鈥� organisation for pay negotiations, UCEA.

University employers, like 香港六合彩中特网, have deprioritised the welfare of staff (Appendix 2) in a period of high inflation. As our national negotiators have pointed out, unless inflation falls by August 2023, UCEA is proposing a permanent transfer of pay from all staff to the employers 鈥� and all future staff 鈥� amounting to around 10% in real terms for the lowest paid, rising to over 16% for the highest.

The Provost frames our action as being against students, saying that in choosing strikes and marking boycotts staff 鈥渄irectly target our students and especially the most vulnerable amongst them鈥�. We, who daily support our students, and care for their welfare and education, believe this framing is divisive and unhelpful, repeating the same language Government ministers use to attack our striking NHS colleagues.

Whatever action we take, we know our members will do our best to support our students (Appendix 3), and work with them in solidarity. Indeed, by fighting for the future of the sector, we are fighting for their future.听

We expect more information on the dates of any proposed action will be available from UCU soon. Please come to the meeting to begin preparing for this action.

香港六合彩中特网 UCU Executive Committee

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Appendix 1: What is a Marking and Assessment Boycott (MAB)?

The MAB is a boycott of work relating to the setting, grading, collating, moderating, and finalising of assessments. This boycott applies to all contributory assessments and attendant work such as pre-exam meetings or exam correspondence. Some general FAQs on the MAB can be found here. We will soon be distributing some answers to 香港六合彩中特网 specific questions on an MAB.

Appendix 2

Before 2006, annual pay settlements approximately matched inflation. Following action in 2006, we had a genuine improvement in a three-year deal in 2006-2008. But ever since 2009, we have seen year-on-year pay cuts, amounting to a cumulative 25% pay cut by 2022. Now, with inflation at record levels, we face the prospect that in two years alone members could lose 16% of pay, which is equivalent to 2 months鈥� pay.听

This cut is on top of the pension cut imposed last year by the employers of 30-40%. Naturally lower pay means lower future pension contributions, and an even smaller pension. And all of this is on top of years of neglect of staff pay in the sector:

This is very damaging for UK Higher Education. But two things could begin to turn this around. The Government could intervene to reduce inflation, and the employers could rethink their approach and enter into meaningful negotiations to improve their offer to staff. For those of us in the USS institutions, USS鈥檚 improved financial position offers an opportunity to both reverse last year鈥檚 pension cuts and potentially reduce employer and employee contributions, offering a much better settlement on pay.听

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Appendix 3

We called for the PhD stipend to be raised, which led to a 10% increase. And at this moment we are attempting to defend the future pay that our students will receive should they wish to have an academic career. We do not take student support for granted. We thoroughly appreciate all of the solidarity we have received from our students and student union, and thank them for it.听

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